State governments are susceptible to corruption, New York’s moreso than most, according to a new data-driven study done by the State Integrity Investigation.

The study gave New York a “D” based on score of 65 out of 100. That ranked New York 36 out of 50 states.

New York received a grade of “F” in four categories – state budgeting process, redistricting, ethics enforcement and pension fund management. The Empire State received its best grades for internal auditing (B+) and lobbying disclosure (B-).

The stories go on and on. Open records laws with hundreds of exemptions. Crucial budgeting decisions made behind closed doors by a handful of power brokers. “Citizen” lawmakers voting on bills that would benefit them directly. Scores of legislators turning into lobbyists seemingly overnight. Disclosure laws without much disclosure. Ethics panels that haven’t met in years.

State officials make lofty promises when it comes to ethics in government. They tout the transparency of legislative processes, accessibility of records, and the openness of public meetings. But these efforts often fall short of providing any real transparency or legitimate hope of rooting out corruption.

That’s the depressing bottom line that emerges from the State Integrity Investigation, a first-of-its-kind, data-driven assessment of transparency, accountability and anti-corruption mechanisms in all 50 states. Not a single state — not one — earned an A grade from the months-long probe.

The first thing you need to know about this project is that it was enormous.

It begins with a list of 330 questions for each state. The questions pertain to areas of government that are historically susceptible to corruption. Areas like campaign finance. Disclosure requirements for lobbyists. State budget processes. Even the management of the state retirement fund.

They examine the laws on the books for those areas and then reveal how those laws are actually enforced.

Corporations are limited to donating $5,000 to a state campaign but routinely get around that by donating to these murky conduits. While funds donated to housekeeping accounts are not supposed to be used in campaigns, parties can bolster office seekers with the cash in a variety of ways, including laundering it through other organizations or opening district offices that can boost a candidate’s presence.

The report shows that most statehouses can barely be trusted to maintain the rudiments of good government. Without deep reforms, they certainly should not be asked to handle more federal programs on which millions rely.